Colts add veteran depth with Indiana OL Jason Spriggs, NFL legacy Bryan Cox Jr.

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INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts added veteran depth to the offensive and defensive lines on Friday, signing former Indiana All-American Jason Spriggs to the offensive line and Bryan Cox Jr., to the defensive line.

Indianapolis has now made three signings in the immediate aftermath of this week’s mandatory minicamp, including two players who participated in the minicamp on a tryout basis. Cox, Jr., and undrafted Texas State defensive tackle Caeveon Patton both earned their spots on the 90-man roster on the practice field this week.

The Colts released special teamer Jordan Glasgow and a pair of undrafted free agents, defensive end Cullen Wick and defensive tackle McKinley Williams III, in order to make room for the additions.

Spriggs, 28, has 10 starts in six seasons in the NFL, bouncing around the league with the Packers, Bears and Falcons after Green Bay selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft.

Aug 22, 2020; Lake Forest, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears offensive tackle Jason Spriggs (78) arrives on the field for training camp at Halas Hall.
Aug 22, 2020; Lake Forest, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears offensive tackle Jason Spriggs (78) arrives on the field for training camp at Halas Hall.

An offensive tackle by trade, Spriggs has also played guard in the NFL, giving him the versatility to compete for a depth spot on a Colts offensive line that may have lost its top three reserves this offseason, either through a promotion to the starting lineup (Danny Pinter, Matt Pryor) or to another team in free agency (Chris Reed).

Indianapolis has rebuilt that depth by surrounding returning second-year player Will Fries with veterans like Spriggs, swing tackle Dennis Kelly, and by drafting Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann in the third round to compete for the starting job at left tackle. If either Raimann or Pryor win the starting job, the Colts believe the other player has the versatility to play multiple spots on the offensive line, a critical quality for a backup offensive lineman in the NFL.

Cox, Jr., the son of former NFL Pro Bowl linebacker Bryan Cox, is another well-traveled veteran of five seasons in the NFL with Carolina, Cleveland and Buffalo. Cox Jr. has half a sack and nine quarterback hits in 26 career games, although he hasn’t had a sack or quarterback hit since the 2019 season.

Already coming off of a torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2021 season, Cox Jr. faces an uphill battle for a roster spot at an Indianapolis defensive end position that already boasts Yannick Ngakoue, Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo, Tyquan Lewis and Ben Banogu.

The Colts’ decision to release Glasgow is likely a reflection of two things, an influx of special teams talent this offseason and an impressive summer by undrafted free agent JoJo Domann, who made an interception during the mandatory minicamp and played strong-side linebacker with the first team when Zaire Franklin was unavailable Tuesday.

Glasgow, a sixth-round pick in 2020, had been a stalwart in the kicking game the past two seasons, blocking a punt and making nine tackles as a rookie, then making six tackles on special teams last year.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts add veteran depth with Indiana's Jason Spriggs, Bryan Cox, Jr.